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Cooling centers are open today

Looking for a place to duck out of this dreadful heat? Good news: cooling centers are open this afternoon! According to the latest National Weather Service forecast, the heat index is expected to exceed 95 degrees in parts of the City this afternoon.

Cooling centers are public places, such as Department for the Aging (DFTA) senior centers and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and Salvation Army community centers, where air conditioning is available. To find the cooling center closest to you, call 311 (TTY: 212-504-4115) or visit OEM’s Cooling Center Finder at www.nyc.gov/oem.

According to the Office of Emergency Management website, local cooling centers are:

Campos Plaza, 611 E. 13th St.

Sirovich Senior Center, 331 E. 12th St.

Tompkins Square Library, 331 E. 10th St.

Epiphany Library, 228 E. 23rd St.

John Paul II Friendship Cente, 103 E. 7th St.

Meanwhile, the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) offer these tips to beat the heat:

Heat illness is serious. Prolonged exposure to the heat can be harmful and potentially fatal. The added stress caused by heat can also aggravate heart or lung disease even without symptoms of heat illness. Call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away if you have these symptoms:

Hot, dry skin or cold, clammy skin

Weakness

Dizziness

Nausea or vomiting

Shortness of breath or trouble breathing

Confusion, hallucinations, disorientation

The risk for getting sick during a heat wave is increased for people who:

Are younger than five, or older than 64

Have chronic medical or mental health conditions

Take medications, which can disrupt the regulation of body temperature

Are confined to their beds or unable to leave their homes

Are overweight

If you have a medical condition or take medications, check with your physician about precautions during hot weather. Family, friends, and neighbors who are at high risk will need extra help during this period of extreme heat. Think about how you can help someone you know get to an air-conditioned place.

Beat the Heat Tips:

Use an air conditioner if you have one.

If you do not have an air conditioner, go to a cooler place such as an air-conditioned store, mall, museum or movie theater. Or, visit a cooling center.

Use a fan if the air is not too hot. Fans work best at night to bring in cooler air from outside. Use a fan only when the air conditioner is on or the windows are open.

Drink plenty of water or other fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid beverages containing alcohol, caffeine, or high amounts of sugar.

If possible, stay out of the sun. When you’re in the sun, wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible, wear a hat to protect your face and head, and use sunscreen (at least SPF 15) to protect exposed skin.

Never leave children, pets, or those who require special care in a parked car.

Avoid strenuous activity, or plan it for the coolest part of the day, usually in the morning between 4 AM and 7 AM.

Be careful if you take a cold shower to stay cool – sudden temperature changes can make you feel dizzy or sick.